copyright 2011 art of living,PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

Romantic, inviting, inebriating, coffee is the beverage of choice of millions of people around the world. Come to think about it, coffee plays an important role in the lives of millions of people around the world..from those who produce it to those who consume it.

Besides many trips to (what I consider) some of the world’s best and most beautiful coffee bars in the world here in Rome, Italy..I have been studying coffee with some of the world’s coffee experts/tasters here…and here  some of the terms used to describe coffee when coffee tasting, when it comes to the olfactory terms:

*Fragrance- sweet/floral or sweet/spicy

*aroma-fruity or herbal

*olfactory-caramel,nutty,malty

*after taste-chocolatey, carbony,chemicaly,spicy

So instead of gulping the next cup down quickly, as most of us do….sip and attempt to discern all the wonderful (or maybe not so wonderful) different tastes in your cup..but isn’t, that how life is..we never stop to smell the roses or sip the coffee…and never realize all the wonderful things that are right there in front of us to savor…

Here is one of my favorite coffee drinks,especially in the winter

Caffe Principessa (Princess Coffee)

*1/2 cup hot espresso

*1 tblsp rum

*2 tblsps water

*1 tblsp brown sugar

*pinch of powdered sugar

*1 dried orange peel

*pinch of powdered cinnamon

*whipped cream

In a small sauce pan, pour in water,orange peel, sugar, rum. Heat and stir, Remove from heat, filter or pour through cheesecloth into a tempered glass. Add in coffee and powdered sugar,stir. Top with whipped cream and pinch of powdered sugar on top.

Serve hot.

Read about some of  my  coffee bar  visits   here in Rome, Italy or about the interesting past of cappuccino

For more great recipes get your copy of the award winning The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd edition

coyright 2010 art of living, PrimaMedia,Inc/Maria Liberati

La Befana is almost here or as tradition goes she should be ‘flying’ by on her broomstick sometime before dawn tomorrow morning, the 6th of January. And the streets are bustling with cars and people whizzing by.. under my office window here in the center of town. Fireworks can be heard from far and near signaling the last day of a long, (seemingly) never ending 12 day Holiday feast.
Tomorrow’s mid day meal will be just as special as the rest of  the Holidays. While the day after Chrsitmas was a day for ‘recupaerating’ from all the preaparations. People are anxious to  use up all their  leftovers on that day. But we have  had a few days of relaxation from the big feast on New Year’s Day so another feast is in order.

La Befana vien di notte (the Befana comes in the night)

con le scarpe tutte rotte (with tattered shoes)

con cappelle  alla Romana (A Roman style hat)

VIVA VIVA LA BEFANA! (Long Live La Befana)

Torta Principe Eugenio (Prince Eugenio’s Cake)

6 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate (containing at least 60% cocoa)

1 1/2 cups crushed almonds

1 ¼ cups sugar

2 tablespoons butter

6 eggs

1 tablespoon rum

1 tablespoon brandy

butter for pan

Topping

2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

1 tablespoon sugar

2 ounces milk chocolate

½ cup whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

Beat softened butter,sugar and egg yolks until creamy. Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Add the chocolate into the egg yolk mixture,then add in ground almonds,brandy and rum.

Beat egg whites till soft peaks form. Fold into the egg yolk mixture gently till well blended.. Butter and flour an 8″  cake pan and bake for 35 minutes in oven at 350 degrees.

Remove from oven. Leaving a 1 /12 “ border around cake, cut out some of  the interior cake , to make about ¼ cup of crumbs. Place crumbs in oven on cookie sheet  to dry and become crisp, set aside., to use as crumble on topping.

Cook raspberries and sugar over low heat for 2 minutes let sugar melt. Let cool. Place whipping cream and vanilla, sugar in bowl. Whip cream till peaks form, add in grated chocolate. Place cooled raspberry mixture in cavity of cake made from digging out crumbs. Top with whipped cream mixture in center of raspberries. Sprinkle with cake crumbs on top of whipped cream and serve.

 For more great Holiday recipes get your copy of The Basic Art of Italian Cooking: Holidays & Special Occasions-2nd editon

The Holidays always have me daydreaming about my visits to the Christmas markets in Vienna and Strasburg, in Austria.  On New Year’s Day I am always in Rome where we eat New Year’s day dinner at home  with the traditional New Year’s Day concert from Vienna on TV… So Vienna always brings back special memories for the  Holidays and besides the spiced wine you drink whilst strolling in the main squares in Vienna  and Salzburg..there is Viennese coffee.  If you can’t get to Vienna for the  Holidays you can have a  Viennese experience in your kitchen with a cup of this hot tasty drink (for the full effect, play some Mozart while enjoying this):

If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide, here it is http://tinyurl.com/yzyb4r4

Viennese Coffee

(serves 4)

4 ounces of dark chocolate- melted

1/2 cup of whipping cream

4 cups of dark espresso or espresso style coffee

1 tsp sugar

powdered cocoa

cinnamon

In large heat proof pitcher - blend cream and melted chocolate till creamy.  Add in boiling hot coffee, sugar, stir and divide into 4 coffee cups, top with some whipped cream, dash of powderd cocoa and dash of powdered cinnamon..don’t forget the Mozart!

You still have time to get a copy of the award winning book 

 The Basic Art of Italian Cooking-Holidays & Special Occasions-winner of the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for Best Italian Cusisine Book in America for 2009.

If you missed our Holiday Gift Guide for best products selected for their artisan quality and the ultimate experience they provide the consumer, here it is:

Holiday Gift Guide 2009

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1jim0/HolidayGiftGuide2009/resources/index.htm?referrerUrl=

 Tanti Auguri (Best Wishes) for a Great Holiday

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

 copyright 2009, Maria Liberati

Today is a coffee Monday! Even though I have heard that drinking hot coffee in the heat of summer keeps your body cool, you may want  to drink your coffee cool on a hot summer day.

The dish for today in The Basic Art of Italian Cooking Kitchen was a Sorbetto di Caffe (Coffee Sorbet). It was great as an after dinner dessert..replacing my usual cup of hot coffee.

It’s really quite easy, made with simple  ingredients, no special equipment  needed to make it. Before the summer is gone try this for a dessert or a cool afternoon treat! Reminds me a of a stroll through the center of Rome and taking a coffee sorbetto in one of the chic coffee bars.. I can see it now..passing the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain the hot Roman sun beating down and nothing but a sorbetto di caffe will do!

Sorbetto Di Caffe

*1/4 cup of white sugar

*4 espresso size cups of espresso  coffee

*1 cup water

Make 4 cups of espresso in a 4 cup of espresso and let cool.In a saucepan place 1 cup cooled coffee. Place ina feeezer container or ice tray. In one hour stir mixture, and stir again in 2 hours. Then let freeze.  When frozen solid it is ready to serve. Stir with a dollop of whipped cream

Just in time for the Holidays:
The Basic Art of Italian Cooking -Holidays & Special Occasions- get yoru copy at www.marialiberati.com

*Get the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking at www.marialiberati.com

*July 16th, Whole Foods market, Annapolis,MD, call store t oregister or email: events@marialiberati.com

July 18th- Whole Foods Market, Fair lakes/Fairfax, Virginia. A Tuscan Picnic and a wine pairing. Call store or email :events@marialiberati.com

July 31-August 2nd-Atalantic City Food & Wine Show, Bally’s Casino. Email: events@marialiberati.com

Mangia Bene, Vivi Bene,

Maria

http://twitter.com/Marialiberati

http://mariaandco.blogspot.com
 

copyright, 2008 Maria Liberati 

As I am always on the lookout for wonderful places for my ‘foodie fans’ to be aware of..I have stumbled upon a wonderful British find for Sweets and Chocolates of all kinds.  You might say they are all done with a bit of style as well.  At least I know one place I will be visiting on my next trip to London..Hope & Greenwood.

If you have a fancy for a terrific sweet sweet..in the proper British style check out Hope & Greenwood. It is the perfect place to get some proper British style sweets but with a nostalgic twist.

Hope & Greeenwood have done what I think is so ‘fantabulous (if it is  real word ..well it is a combo of fantastic and fabulous)! Taking a food that they have a passion for-SWEETS- and expressing their yearning for everything nostalgic through them.

 For the chocoholics and those who love their ‘cioccolata’ or CHOCOLATE.. there is plenty to be ecstatic about. From British truffles to Organic chocolate in flavors like Organic Fudge Cake and Organic Apple Pie bar….

And so you don’t have to feel guilty they have a dark chocolate bar that contains 72% cocoa-a proven antioxidant.  And if you would like to see what marvelous things their chocolate does in a recipe, try the recipe below and see what happens (recipe for Budino Al Cioccolato). For this recipe try their Perfectly Simple Dark Chocolate Bar that is 72% cocoa.

However, if you are in the mood for a bit of  nostalgia…. what could settle a sweet tooth more than good old fashioned ‘LOLLIES’

Lollies that will bring you back to the  memories of the  lazy days of summer picnics and childhood. They are guaranteed to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Budino Al Cioccolata

32 ounces of Dark Chocolate

2 tblsps of corn starch

2 cups milk

1/3 cup sugar

2 egg yolks

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. When chocolate is melted  remove from heat and set aside.  In seperate saucepan mix corn starch and sugar with wooden spoon. Add in the milk a little at a time, mixing in well constantly stirring. Add in melted chocolate and stir in well. Place on heat and bring to a boil stirring constantly. When boiling remove from heat. Let cool for a 3 minutes and add in butter cut into pieces and egg yolks. Mix vigorously with wire whisk. When well blended, place in a pan or mold and place in refrigerator for 3 hours. Unmold and serve with whipped cream.

For more recipes get your copy of the bestselling book The Basic Art of Italian Cooking by Maria Liberati at http://www.marialiberati.com

Ciao for Now!

Maria

http://www.marialiberati.com